


we'll take a cup of kindness yet (and one last assassination attempt)

by SuperfriendlyFox



Series: Lena is Extra [3]
Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Established Relationship, F/F, Fluff, Humor, Implied Sexual Content, Jess the secretary - Freeform, New Year's Eve, New Year's Kiss, SuperCorp
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-30
Updated: 2017-12-30
Packaged: 2019-02-23 09:17:24
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,601
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13187037
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SuperfriendlyFox/pseuds/SuperfriendlyFox
Summary: L-Corp’s New Year’s Eve Gala.





	we'll take a cup of kindness yet (and one last assassination attempt)

“So... I’ll start off the bidding for a date with Supergirl!” Lena gripped the sides of the podium and beamed her most polished, professional and miserable smile at the crowd of revellers in the grand ballroom. 

Six months ago she’d thought she’d scored quite the coup when Supergirl had agreed to be the main attraction at L-Corp’s 2018 New Year’s Eve Gala, benefitting Luthor Children’s Hospital.

Now, five weeks into _dating_ Supergirl, Lena wished she’d had the foresight to go for something a little less romantic. _Get your car washed by Supergirl! Have your lawn mowed by Supergirl! Go flying with and have a heart attack because of Supergirl!_ The thought of someone else having a candlelight dinner with _her_ Kara filled Lena with jealousy, however irrational she knew it to be, and it was only the warning scowl Jess shot her across the room that deterred Lena from starting the bidding at the entirely reasonable sum of one hundred million dollars.

So Lena made her paltry bid and stalked off the stage as Hector worked the crowd. The bids flew fast and furious as Supergirl smiled from the dais and flexed her biceps.

Smacking 2018 balloons out of her way, Lena escaped into the outer vestibule to give herself a chance to cool down, and to give the volunteer working the coat check a snack break.

She looked at her watch, her new favorite watch that Jess had given her. In two and a half hours 2017 would be over. It had been a year of assassination attempts. Lena had lost count of how many she’d endured. She was looking forward to it being over.

“For auld lang syne, my dear..." she sang softly as she searched for Kara's overcoat. She was actually looking forward to singing that, for the first time in her life. In past years she'd been bored to death at best, or she'd been lonely without anyone to share the moment with.

She wrapped herself in Kara’s coat, taking comfort in her girlfriend’s scent. Searching for Kara’s gloves, she stuck a hand in one pocket and was dismayed to feel the smear of melted chocolate along her fingers. Of all the times for Kara not to finish a candy bar.

She didn’t hear the footsteps.

A woolen scarf slipped around her neck. And tightened.

Lena gasped for air.

She dropped her clutch and instinctively reached her hands to try and loosen the scarf.

She tried to scream.

Before she could think to kick, a heel landed at the back of her knee and she fell to the floor, a strong grip on the scarf keeping her upright.

Surely her girlfriend would save her. Supergirl would hear Lena’s heartbeat going crazy, leave the auction and investigate--

Black spots danced in front of Lena’s eyes. This was it. She was going to die.

When she’d been looking forward to the year being over, she hadn’t meant it to be quite so permanent, she thought through her haze.

She wouldn’t live to see 2018. She wouldn’t get to kiss her girlfriend, and sing with her "Auld Lang Syne."

At least she’d had five weeks of bliss, she thought as her life began to flash before her eyes. _Hurry and get to the good part,_ she prayed as unwanted images of Lillian’s sneers filled her consciousness.

Suddenly the scarf loosened. Air rushed back into her windpipe and the hold about her body vanished. Lena collapsed onto the floor, wheezing, to the sounds of scuffling and shouts. She rolled onto her back and saw Alex and Maggie subduing a burly man, the scarf having fallen to the floor. A beautiful emerald green scarf, with sparkly silver stripes, thought Lena in her dazed state. She’d have to search online for it later.

As Maggie slapped cuffs on the perpetrator and hauled him back to his feet, Alex helped a coughing Lena stand. She peered at the marks around Lena’s neck. “Maggie’s going to bring this bum to the station. I need you to come with me to get checked out.”

Lena shook her head. Her voice was hoarse as she said, “The gala must go on. Maggie, may I come down to give my statement tomorrow?”

Maggie and Alex exchanged glances. Maggie turned back to Lena. “Of course, Little Luthor.”

Alex stooped to pick up Lena's clutch and the green and silver scarf. _“I always knew you were a Slytherin,”_ she muttered. She handed Lena the clutch but gave the scarf to Maggie. “Sorry about your scarf, Lena, but it _is_ a murder weapon.”

“Oh, that’s not mine.” Lena gazed longingly at the scarf. That was some quality cashmere right there. “Perhaps it's his... or he took it from one of the coats?"

They all glared at the sneering man. "You can ask my lawyer."

Lena dismissed him from her thoughts. "I’ll tell the volunteer to ask people on their way out. We can reimburse them for such a lovely scarf."

Maggie laughed. " _Priorities._ Happy New Year, Little Luthor." She quickly shared a pre-New Year’s kiss with Alex-- just in case-- before dragging the would-be-assassin out of the coat check.

Lena accepted a hug from Alex. She held on tight. “Lucky for me you guys got here in the nick of time. Were you really leaving the gala so early?”

Alex bleated with laughter. “Leaving? The gala? Us? Before midnight?” She let go of Lena and pulled back. “No no... we... we just wanted to give the volunteer a break. No other reason. At _all.”_

Lena smirked.

Alex blushed. “We were just planning to while away the time by _talking._ Not, not by doing anything inappropriate in a public place. Not _us.”_

“Well.” Lena couldn’t help but giggle, a high-pitched giggle as if she’d sucked on helium. “I’m sorry the latest attempt on my life inconvenienced you.”

Alex couldn’t help but giggle as well. Just for a moment. Then her protective instincts kicked back in. “I understand you think you’re okay, Lena, but I really have to insist. There could be complications. If everything checks out I can have you back within the hour.”

“I can’t leave the gala.” Lena’s confident swagger now vanished. “Could... could you please do me a favor and not tell Kara? Of course she’ll find out later...” Lena gently touched her neck and winced. “But I’d rather not ruin the night for her, finding out I almost met my death right under her nose.” Lena opened her clutch, took out a tissue and wiped the chocolate off her fingers. Then she took off Kara’s coat and hung it back up. She found her own coat and pulled her scarf out of the sleeves, and wrapped it around her red and pink neck, which was slowly turning other nasty colors.

Alex crossed her arms over her chest. “If you want me to keep this from Kara you have to come get checked out. That’s the deal.” She leaned closer to gaze into Lena’s eyes. “Your eyes look a little bloodshot.”

Lena sighed in defeat. She should know better than to argue with a Danvers woman. And a Slytherin at that.

***

An hour and a half later Lena was back. She’d needn't have worried-- Jess and Hector and the small army of volunteers had kept everything running smoothly, and most of Kara’s time had been monopolized as well, as Supergirl was helping secure donations for the hospital. And Mirna, Lena’s new sales manager, was shaking people down left and right. They never knew what hit them.

Lena stood at the punch table and filled up a glass, still holding her champagne flute in her other hand. She’d almost gotten murdered tonight, she was going to drink as much as she liked.

She set both glasses down without taking another sip, though, as she felt warm arms encircle her waist from behind, and a chin softly came to rest on her shoulder.

Kara squeezed her gently and laughed. “I heard your heartbeat going crazy during the Supergirl auction. Don’t you know there’s no need to be jealous?”

Lena couldn’t help but laugh as well, and turned around in Kara’s arms. “There’s not?” She beheld her beautiful girlfriend, now wearing a gorgeous black evening gown. Strapless. Sleeveless. Lena sighed at the sight of those muscles.

Kara grinned. “Nope. No need to get your heartbeat all in a tizzy.”

Lena’s eyes glinted mischievously. “None at all?” She bit her lower lip.

Kara’s gaze lowered to Lena’s lips, and she licked her own. “I mean... I can think of _some_...” She leaned forward and kissed Lena’s jaw.

Lena closed her eyes and she moaned, softly, so softly as not to act inappropriately at her own gala. “Kara, oh Kara...”

Kara leaned back. “Your throat sounds a little scratchy, babe. Are you coming down with a cold?”

“I swear I’m not getting a cold. Come here.” Lena placed her fingers behind Kara’s neck and gently pulled her closer.

Kara’s fingers traveled to Lena’s scarf and started to lower it.

Lena quickly grabbed her girlfriend’s hand. As much as she’d love to have her neck nipped, she didn’t want to have the moment broken by discussing her colorful bruises. She brought Kara’s hand to her lips and kissed her palm. “Darling. I think the coat check volunteer could use another break.”

***

The coat check volunteer was quite surprised. And of course had no idea at all what Lena and Kara were up to.

Once again Lena had to stop Kara from pulling down her scarf, this time with her teeth. “Darling. I’m cold.” 

Kara sighed, but released the scarf from her mouth. "I wouldn't want you to catch your death of cold."

Lena angled Kara's face away from her neck and toward her plunging neckline. "I'd much rather be kissed to death, dearest." 

Kara obliged her for a bit, then moved her attention lower, to Lena’s upper thigh, and slightly to the left of it.

 _Thank God for all these coats,_ Lena thought as she sighed and squirmed in Kara’s arms.

***

Lena had just finished securing another large donation to the hospital when James sidled up to her, wearing a pair of those dumb 2018 party glasses.

“Thanks for inviting me, Lena.” He offered her her own pair of 2018 party glasses.

She smiled up at him, took them from him, and fitted them over her face. “Of course. I’m glad you came, James.”

James now motioned toward Jess, who was currently disengaging from yet another dance partner she’d successfully solicited a donation from, judging from the satisfied grin on her face. It seemed she and Mirna were having a friendly competition-- every time one of them had snagged her prey she would shoot the other a look to egg her on. “That’s your assistant, isn’t it? She’s got a way about her.”

Lena smirked. “That she does. A plethora of people will be leaving here significantly poorer. I suppose you’d like me to introduce you?”

James merely grinned and followed Lena as she caught up with Jess.

At Lena’s touch, Jess turned with an inquisitive look, ready to do whatever was necessary to make the gala an even bigger success, short of wearing a ridiculous pair of 2018 party glasses of course. She smirked when she saw Lena. Then her gaze fell on James and she smiled.

“Jess, this is James Olsen, Kara’s fr-- _Kara’s and my_ friend.” Lena blushed. She still wasn’t used to saying the f-word. “James, allow me to introduce you to Jessica Huang, my wonderful assistant, whom I would be lost without.”

Jess’s eyes had already narrowed. _“The_ James Olsen?”

James smirked. “The one and only.”

“Your reputation precedes you.”

James puffed out his chest. “Well. I don’t like to brag.”

“No. Why would you?”

Lena stepped away, feeling a bit confused at Jess’s displeased demeanor. “Well. I’ll leave you two alone to get acquainted.”

***

As Lena made her rounds of the ballroom, passing Kara twice and sneaking kisses from her each time, she couldn’t help but glance over every so often in Jess and James’s direction. James had been cordial to Lena when she and Kara had started dating, and had recently started actually being friendly, and she truly felt hopeful about someday being able to call him a friend, and mean it.

He didn’t seem pleased right at this moment, though. In fact, he looked rather affronted, and then Jess turned and strode away.

Lena’s face fell, and she quickly maneuvered past more annoying 2018 balloons and went to Jess’s side. “That didn’t seem to go well.”

Jess snorted. “I think it rather did. My initial presumptions proved correct.”

Lena raised an eyebrow. “And what, pray tell, were your initial presumptions?”

Jess now turned to Lena and placed her hands on her hips. “Miss Luthor. James Olsen ran a front-page story proclaiming your guilt after you’d clearly been set up by that heinous woman who masquerades as your mother.”

Lena couldn’t help but laugh, and she placed her hand on Jess’s arm. “It’s fine, Jess. He was only doing his job. It wasn’t anything personal.”

Jess shook her head. “It’s an excellent strategy in life to take nothing personally. A wonderful philosophy to follow to get through life pleasantly, with the least amount of emotional distress. However, an equally valid opposing view is to take _everything_ others do personally.”

“That seems a little impractical.” Lena gently squeezed Jess’s arm.

“Miss Luthor, it’s always a choice, to make a business decision over doing the right thing. If I were to not take my work for you personally...” Jess paused, and Lena thought about all the CEOs of rival companies who’d tried to poach Jess from her employ. All the extra money and vacation time she’d probably been offered, and yet, she’d stayed. Lena knew very well if her assistant didn’t take her job personally, she would have left her long ago.

Still she was not prepared for Jess’s next words.

Jess looked her right in the eye. “Miss Luthor. There is no way to work for you, to get to _know_ you, and not take other’s slights of you personally. You’re a wonderful person, and you mean a great deal to me.”

Lena swiped at her eye. “Thank you, Jess. Likewise.”

“You mean a great deal to anyone who gets to know you, although few are given that opportunity, and even fewer take you up on it. And, I must say, I am grateful I did.”

Lena now turned away, to pull a tissue from her clutch, and to blow her nose. So _dusty_ in this ballroom. Hadn’t anyone swept beforehand?

Jess gazed across the room. “Of course we’ll never speak of this again.”

Lena blew harder. “Of course.”

“You’re really not fooling anyone with that scarf, you realize. I hadn’t known Miss Danvers was such a little minx.”

Lena grinned through her tears. “I could never fool you, Jess.”

She couldn’t stop smiling as she gazed across the ballroom at Hector suavely squeezing money out of a wealthy society maven. Lena had the _best_ assistants. She’d always been good at picking people. Well. Except for that once. Lena spared a thought for her former assistant, whose name had become like Voldemort’s around L-Corp. She’d routinely heard her not-so-fondly referred to as “the traitor,” “the mole,” and “a most notable coward, an infinite and endless liar, an hourly promise breaker, the owner of no one good quality.” (Richard in Purchasing was a Shakespeare nut.)

She had lucked out with Jess and Hector, and she knew it.

***

Midnight was fast approaching. The night had already proven to be a smashing success, except for the attack on Lena’s life of course, and the fact that someone else would be taking her girlfriend out on a date. _Doggone it, Lena. Keep your focus on the children. On all the money for the children. Not on your lovely, sexy girlfriend, whom you_ live with, _and can spare one evening without._ Lena bit her lip, and focused on the children.

She focused, and breathed deeply, and soon was feeling perfectly at ease, and was passing the fruit and cheese plates, wondering if her waistline could spare a little nibble on the smoked gouda, when she just happened to glance over and see Mirna, and Mirna’s wife-- who Lena had realized was just as cutthroat as Mirna after speaking with her for only two minutes-- chatting up Kara.

Mirna and her wife both pulled out their phones to show Kara some pictures-- pictures of something that _had fur_. Lena remembered that night at the Holiday Windows, Kara confiding to Mirna how when she got married she hoped to have a dog. And now... now Lena and Kara were _living together._

Lena finally saw the real reason Kara had asked Lena if they could move in together so soon, and broke out into a run. She’d only _thought_ she’d seen effective salespeople in action in the past. Mirna could sell Lena’s mom a Supergirl thong. Lena leaped over the punch table, shucking her heels in mid-air so she wouldn’t break her ankles upon hitting the floor. People around her stared-- even the music faltered as the trombonist of the live band lowered his instrument to get a better look. Cameras flashed, but winding up on the front page of the tabloids tomorrow was a small price to pay for keeping her sanity.

“Hector! Hector’s been thinking of getting a dog!” Lena, in her stocking feet, seized her girlfriend and dragged her away from the professional pet pushers, calling back over her shoulder, “Let me just grab him for you.”

As they made their escape, Kara said, “Babe. I just saw the most adorable Miniature Schnauzer.”

“It couldn’t have been miniature enough,” said Lena, her arm firmly around Kara’s waist, stopping only to collect her favorite Louboutins, then making a beeline for Hector.

Surely adopting a dog was within the scope of a loyal assistant’s duties?

***

“Maggie! You made it back in time!” Lena beamed as she came upon Maggie and Alex trading kisses at the far end of the ballroom.

“I did, Little Luthor. Nice glasses. No really, they suit you.” Maggie snickered. “Hey, you better go find Little Danvers. The countdown is about to start.”

Lena got rid of the dumb 2018 glasses, making a mental note to grab one of those 2018 party hats and snap it onto Maggie’s head. She hurried to go find Kara, only to be swept up by her girlfriend from behind. “Put me down, you silly.” Lena giggled. “I can’t dance with you while in your arms.”

Kara kissed her cheek, then gently lowered her back down to the floor. They put their arms around each other, and giggled some more, and started to slowly move in time with the music.

“It’s almost time!” Winn blew his noisemaker at them on his way past, searching for James, as neither of them had come with a date. A bro hug at midnight would have to do.

“Ten!”

Excited voices yelled out as the old year dwindled down.

“Nine!”

Everyone in the ballroom stood close to their spouse, significant other, crush, main squeeze, best friend, or just the attractive stranger they’d been dancing with the past ten minutes.

“Eight!”

Lena curled her fingers around Kara’s waist, while Kara leaned ever closer, and reached for her scarf.

“Seven!”

Kara pulled Lena’s scarf off and leaned in for a bite-- but instead stared at her girlfriend’s neck, which had turned a lovely shade of green and purple.

“Six!”

Lena’s eyes grew wide. “Darling, I can explain.”

“Five!”

Kara’s eyes teared up. “Lena--” She gently touched her fingertips to Lena’s neck.

“Four!”

“That’s one massive hickey, and I didn’t even get to give it to you.”

“Three!”

Lena felt her own tears start up. “It looks worse than it is.”

“Two!”

“I can’t leave you alone for a minute it seems.”

“One!”

Lena smiled through her tears. “I wish you wouldn’t.”

“HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!”

Kara smiled through her own, as noisemakers blew and confetti fell from the ceiling. “Lena. I love you.” She kissed Lena so softly, so sweetly, and the year of assassination attempts, of being alone, was over. The new year, and Lena’s new life with Kara, was officially here.

Lena smiled into the kiss. “I love you, Kara. I could die, you’ve made me so happy.” She pressed forward for another.

Kara laughed. “Please don’t die. That wouldn’t make _me_ very happy.” She shut up now, and kissed Lena again.

They kept kissing, only to break off to join in the singing--

“Should old acquaintance be forgot, and never brought to mind?”

Lena thought of her mom, her real mom. And of her brother, and Jack. Gone, but never, ever forgotten.

“Should old acquaintance be forgot, and auld lang syne!”

She looked back at her girlfriend. Kara had lost everything. She had lost her parents, her whole world. But she wasn't going to lose Lena, not ever. Certainly not to an assassin from Slytherin. Lena squeezed Kara a little tighter, and Kara beamed, then looked over to smile across the ballroom, at her sister, and her sister’s fiancée. At Winn, and James.

“For auld lang syne, my dear, for auld lang syne--”

Lena gazed over at Mirna kissing her wife, at Jess and Hector kissing people they had just met while fist bumping each other, and she laughed, and turned back to her girlfriend. "Kara... _please._ Kiss me to death."

“We'll take a cup o' kindness yet, for auld lang syne!”

 

**Author's Note:**

> Happy New Year!


End file.
